Four young people suffered gunshot wounds in three individual shootings that occurred within one week in Milledgeville.
Most recently, on July 23, Milledgeville Police Department Officer John Childress was on patrol in the area of the 100 block of West Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard when he heard several gunshots. While Childress went to investigate, Sgt. Brandon Crawford also was dispatched to the scene and while on his way Crawford saw a black Acura sedan fleeing the area at a high rate of speed with its hazard lights activated.
Crawford was able to catch up to the vehicle as it turned into the hospital emergency entrance and observed a 14-year-old male juvenile being taken from the vehicle inside. The juvenile suffered a single gunshot wound to the neck and was reportedly transferred to an Atlanta area hospital by helicopter.
At the same time, Major Linc Boyer also reported seeing another black sedan leave the area at a high rate of speed with the back passenger side door open. Several bystanders reported the occupants of the car had a gun.
Boyer attempted to stop the vehicle, but it continued south on North Wilkinson Street, then west on West Charlton Street before turning south on North Columbia Street. Due to the severity of the situation and high pedestrian traffic, Boyer, with assistance from Detective Michael Mcleroy, used their patrol vehicles to forcibly contact the fleeing vehicle to bring it to a stop on North Columbia Street at the intersection of West Thomas Street.
Once the vehicle was stopped, an 18-year-old man was found in the backseat suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and officers immediately escorted the vehicle to the hospital. The man was transported to an area hospital, where he is reportedly listed in critical but stable condition.
Last Saturday afternoon, law enforcement also responded to R&M Mart on Irwinton Road, where a teen was reportedly shot in the abdomen. While Officer Ashley Brown was en route, dispatch advised the shot individual was currently on the way to the hospital and that a black Nissan Altima was involved in the incident. Deputies on the scene found a shell casing in the parking lot and shell casings and blood splatters in the grass in front of R&M Mart and Dollar General.
A teen was taken into custody shortly after and charged with possession of a handgun by persons under 18 and tampering with evidence.
Previously, on July 17, Milledgeville police also responded to the 2400 block of Grandview Drive after a juvenile was shot in the side. According to witness reports, the juvenile was shot once at close range before the shooter fled on foot.
According to a GoFundMe page for the victim, “Caden Spedding was shot in the side on July 17, 2023. The bullet grazed his arm and went under the rib cage. It hit his liver, spleen, and left kidney. It also fractured his L1 vertebrae, leaving him with no movement in his legs at this time (July 17).”
The victim was transported to undergo surgery on his spinal cord. As of the latest GoFundMe update on July 24, the initial surgery went well and Caden was recently moved from intensive care to a “regular room.” The latest update notes that Caden has feeling in his legs but has not yet regained the ability to move them.